Former San Jose State University volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose alleges that transgender player Blaire Fleming failed a mandatory testosterone test during the 2023 season, a result the school kept secret from the team. Batie-Smoose, now head volleyball coach at Cisco College, told OutKick that SJSU associate athletics director Laura Alexander informed her of the failed test just before the team left for its first conference match. Alexander reportedly stated that Fleming’s testosterone level exceeded the eligibility limit, rendering him ineligible to travel or play. Batie-Smoose described the situation as a secret kept from the rest of the squad. These claims appear in a federal lawsuit filed Oct. 13 against California State University trustees and 11 SJSU employees. The suit asserts that Fleming missed a long stretch of the 2023 season due to a reported hand injury, a timing Batie-Smoose believes concealed the eligibility issue. SJSU’s athletics website previously attributed Fleming’s absence since Sept. 16, 2023, to injuries. While SJSU game records confirm the missed matches, they do not establish whether a testosterone result caused the absence. Batie-Smoose’s account does not prove that Fleming played while ineligible. The player returned in November, missing 17 matches in total. SJSU declined to comment, citing pending litigation. NCAA rules for the 2023-24 season required transgender women to complete one year of testosterone suppression and maintain levels below 10 nanomoles per liter for women’s volleyball. Schools had to certify eligibility before competition began, including nonconference games. If an athlete became ineligible, NCAA rules required immediate removal from competition.
Batie-Smoose’s allegations extend beyond Fleming’s eligibility to her relationship with head coach Todd Kress. She claims Kress used her support for Donald Trump to turn players against her, citing a shift in his political views from conservative to extreme left before the first Trump election. Batie-Smoose alleges Kress discussed their political differences in front of student athletes, crossing a professional boundary. Her lawsuit states Kress called her a "Trump lover" and threatened to get her fired during an August 2023 confrontation. She reported these incidents to administrators and human resources, who allegedly told her Kress was her boss and she needed to listen to him. Attorney Vernadette Broyles described a broader effort to silence Batie-Smoose, alleging a university administrator assigned a watchdog to monitor her practices and travel.
CSU has defended its handling of Batie-Smoose in a March lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, arguing SJSU followed NCAA rules and the law. The employment dispute intensified as the volleyball controversy spread during the 2024 season. Former co-captain Slusser publicly questioned Fleming's presence on the roster, while other teams declined to face SJSU. Following this period, Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint on Oct. 29 alleging unequal treatment, leading SJSU to place her on paid leave days later. The university cited alleged disclosure of private student information and unprofessional conduct as grounds for suspension, claims Batie-Smoose disputes. On Jan. 31, 2025, SJSU notified her it would not renew her temporary appointment. She filed an employment lawsuit last September, but Judge Noël Wise dismissed her second amended complaint in Sept. 4, finding it did not adequately show punishment based on sex or protected complaints. The judge noted SJSU acted after she shared student information with media despite confidentiality instructions but allowed amendments. The October filing accuses officials of violating her rights to speak, practice faith and hold political beliefs, seeking reinstatement or compensation. In January, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights concluded SJSU violated Title IX regarding athletic participation and facilities response, while CSU disputes these findings.